Coast to Coast Part 8 San Francisco

 

Coast to Coast 2026

Part 8 San Francisco

We arrived yesterday late afternoon and went exploring.  To make the most of our visit we bought explore tickets that gave us access to the cable car and bus services. It took me ages to work out the routes and bus stops. We had to see the Golden Gate Bridge and anything else we could fit in. We used the cable car for the experience and  theatre of the ride to get to the sea front and Fisherman’s Wharf  for breakfast then a walk along to Pier 39  to catch the Blue and White boat trip to the bridge because we could not do it in  the fog yesterday. After the cruise we explored Pier 39 and did more gift shopping.

Going to Haight Ashbury, the birth place of the Hippie Movement had to be explored  in daylight. Taking a bus was not difficult and  got us to where we wanted to go.

In the quest for live music there were artists performing outside the entrance of   Pier 39 to keep us entertained  while waiting for the cruise. When we got to Reilly’s the live music had been cancelled. It clashed with the USA having one of the important matches that was being shown at the Mad Dog and was a ticket only night. It was a cold evening  so we stopped at an Asian restaurant, Papa’s, for our evening meal. Beer and chicken noodles. We got an Uber back to the hotel and a brandy night cap. Joon was going home, back to Guwahati, and  had an early start to catch his flight. We booked his Uber  and waved him off at six-thirty. That was the end of his epic adventure with us.

That left us to check out of the Bay Bridge Inn and move to another hotel then drop off the hire car. First there was breakfast to be had the closest was Mr East another Asian restaurant that served fresh fruit and salad. We could not get access to the room until three but we were able to drop off the luggage to empty the car before dropping  it off at the rental centre at the airport. Gita and I returned via the Metro and did a bit of shopping at Macy’s before returning to the Marine Memorial Club Hotel to check-in. It felt so safe and plush and  near the centre of things in Sutter street off Union Square.  

They had “Happy Hour” from four to six in the restaurant on the fourth floor which we both took advantage of.  Happy Hour rolled into an evening meal and  serenaded by the staff into a full performance that when it finished it was time for bed.

The hotel had a laundry room that we made use of and  refreshed our clothes to take home. I went for a walk on Market street and found a Trader Joe’s and stocked up on fruit later we had heard of the Black Cats Night Club which was a few blocks away and went to investigate. I did not feel safe in that area which was quite run down. There were quite a few people living on the street. Walking there at night would be asking for trouble. The other option around the corner from the hotel was another club that did food with music called the Biscuit and Blues with a $40 ticket plus food. The artist was Joey Delgado a renowned Nashville Blues champion  that we talked to after the show.

It was cold the next day. We took an Uber to Fisherman’s Wharf then came back by bus. Too early for happy hour we slept through it. We ate in Cesarios next door.

Our last full day out for a walk to another Trader Joe’s on my own. Gita and I took bus no 2 outside the hotel then a 43 to take us to Haight Ashbury and the Tie Dye Shop. It was amazing the whole shop looked as though it had been Tie Dyed even the carpet. We returned on the no 7 bus. There was “happy hour” at  the hotel but no evening meal so we walked to Sam’s Grill and Seafood restaurant near Market street. It was cold again so we got an Uber back.

We were ready to leave and got an Uber to the airport arriving at 11:45. With some assistance we were quickly through luggage check-in and on to passport and security with a ticket for flying but no seat allocation. The on line check –in forces you to buy your seat allocation  which I refused to do. My daughter could look up my seat allocation on United Airline site but I could not. It just added  another level of unnecessary  tension I could do without.. We did get the seats just before boarding at four and departed at five fifteen. Glad to be on our way home.

Coast to Coast 2026 Part 7 Highway One

 

Coast to Coast 2026

Part 7 Highway One

Danish pastry for breakfast in a Danish themed  hotel in a Danish town Solvang. After a walk around the town and an icecream  it was time to get on the road again heading north to follow the coast road and glimpse the sea through rolling countryside. It was a slow drive with Gita getting us all the way to Monteray . Checking in at the Arbour Inn about 6.45 and then finding somewhere to eat was not easy by the time we had sorted ourselves out it was eight and places to eat would be closing. The suggestion from the hotel was to head for the sea front. It was about a twenty minute walk to find the road that lead to the front and found a pub that did food and was also a brewery serving craft ales arriving just in time to order a meal. Ribs again and avoiding fries.

We breakfasted  at Denny’s and filled up the car at the petrol station next door and then went to Fishermans Wharf missing the turning for the car park and  had  to come back to park in a square opposite the main car park. Parking up we left the car in a loading bay just to look at the wharf. We taken a risk in a thirty minute  loading bay and  returned just in time to meet the traffic warden doing his rounds and ask us to move so as not to get a ticket.

The next destination was The Mission in Carmel. It was the largest one  and part of the series of twenty  Missions in that area each with a day’s walk of the next. Set up as a Christian network to promote Catholicism in California. It was an amazing place for meditation with chapels, dormitories, gardens, cemetery and courtyards. 

We stayed longer than expected leaving just before two for the four and a half hour drive to San Francisco. Following the satnav which seemed to take us through miles of fields to avoid traffic delays it felt like the Mission had been our Hotel California. We did escape and found Highway One  and after a couple of hours pulled off at Morro Beach to find food and see the Seal Sanctuary.  

Suitably refreshed  we continued on past the Big Sur as the day was disappearing. I had a plan to go across the Golden Gate bridge  but that was scotched  by fog as we got to San Francisco so we went straight to the hotel. The Bay Bridge Inn, it did not feel that secure as the car parking was between two roads and  used as a cut through for cycle delivery guys. Having set up camp we took an Uber to see Haight Ashbury discovering two Irish pubs while window shopping. Most of the shops were closed. The first pub was Reilly’s that was billed to have live music but not tonight so we moved on to the Mad Dog to sink more pints of Guinness.

Coast to Coast 2026 Part 6 Route 66

 

Coast to Coast 2026

Part 6 Route 66

We are about to leave Los Angeles but need to see some iconic landmarks before heading up Route One towards San Francisco. Checking out of the Dunes Inn and going in search of Hollywood which we found  in the suburbs following directions from my phone and the car’s satnav which lead us astray. We parked up and walked up the hill to have a good view of the Hollywood sign. As we had parked illegally Gita stayed with the car. After that there was a visit to the Thunder Road  bike shop and Cafe.

I have been to Thunder Road before in May 2018 look at  Something For The Museum, West Coast Road Trip 5 for that posting. I was on a mission. I had been given a blue baseball cap from  their previous shop. That was from 1996 when the shop was on Sunset Boulevard . The hat was deteriorating and becoming too fragile to wear. I thought the best solution was to give it back to Thunder Road to show it as part of their history to adorn  the cafe somewhere. I had a long chat with the owner, Max Hashahn  and  pleased  to hear his long term plans to stay in business  that has changed from  custom bikes to classics to cafe. Long may he continue. Now being on Santa Monica Boulevard and Route 66 we set off towards the sea  and the west coast and marking our complete traverse of America. New York to Santa Monica . Seeing landmarks  like the end of Route 66 and Highway  One  to complete our epic journey. When Santa Monica Boulevard ended  we found a parking place  at an exorbitant rate and walked to the location. 

Highway One was a challenge as we were in slow moving traffic because of an accident creating an hours’ delay  before we could clear Santa Monica and start our journey north to Solvang. At around three we pulled off the  Highway  and found somewhere to eat in Oxnard and did some shopping in Trader  Joes in the same shopping complex. We were still hours away from Solvang. It was slow driving following the coast. There was some lovely scenery to make the time pass.

We checked in to the Danish Style Hotel the Svendsgaards’ Lodge In time to have a walk around but too late to eat. Lucky we had stopped for some provisions and Guinness earlier. Solvang a picturesque town of windmills and a motorcycle Museum  run by a Rocket Scientist, Virgil. Sadly only open on Saturday’s. Something For The Museum, West Coast Road Trip 4

Coast to Coast 2026 Part 5 Los Angeles

 

Coast to Coast 2026

Part 5 Los Angeles

We had a meal at the restaurant, Ironwood,  recommended by the chef at the hotel and went unbooked  by Uber. The recommendation was well worth it and had an excellent meal. 

The next morning we checked out and said our goodbyes  to the staff and drove to the airport to drop off  the rental car. Park it and drop off the keys. No staff  to do anything. We found the entrance and the check-in for Delta Airlines and with assistance dropped off the luggage and got boarding cards of  sorts to get us through security but no allocated seats. I expected delays at car drop-off  and again through security but it all went so smoothly. Time to get a coffee.  It was a strange flight taking off from Birmingham flying east to Atlanta. A two hour flight and one time zone and hanging around for an hour and a half to catch another plane to LA and again not having any seat allocation. They obviously know where we are going to sit on the plane but did not decide to tell us until we boarded. I could not do an on-line check in because I did not have a US mobile phone number. How irritating. Air India is no different. Delta only offered snacks for our flights from Birmingham to Atlanta  and then from Atlanta to LA. We took off at 10:30am  in Birmingham  and  landed  in LA at 4:30pm traversing three time zones and flying some six hours. You can lose where you are in the day. We were at the Sixt pick-up point at 5:30 after collecting our luggage and a bus ride.

 There was no RAV 4 to have so got a Chevrolet Equinox and compared to the Nissan Rouge it was a tank and nowhere near as economical or comfortable or roomy. I t took me a couple of tries to find the best fit for the suite cases. Gita took  charge of the driving and left me to navigate. She successfully got us to the hotel and checked-in. The Dunes Inn on Harrison street  reported to be on Sunset Boulevard not quite and further away from Hollywood  Boulevard than was walkable. Acceptable accommodation with no restaurant but food was close having a Chinese restaurant a few minutes away  for an evening meal and an even closer supermarket where we could get pastries for breakfast.

We try to plan our only full day in LA and are thwarted as the scenic tours are cancelled because of too many road works. We take an Uber to a local market on Melrose Avenue.

 You pay an entrance fee to get access to some different vendors. The preowned  clothes are exceptional . Gita had her eye on some $500 Gucci sandals that were on sale for $125 she didn’t take the chance and missed them . The y had gone by the time she returned. There was some exceptional jewellery that was made for movies that was being sold off at some incredible prices. Gita did buy some cowboy boots  for our youngest daughter. At this market was the Juneteenth Annual Festival. Black rights –Black lives matter and spend the afternoon watching dance performances and a very good live band. 

Back to the hotel by Uber for a short rest and the out again by Uber to find the walk of fame. What we did found was the Pride Festival some great music  and just as many people trying not to be who they are.

Half the street was closed at was a totally gay area Joon had a tarot  reading then we finally found the feet and hand prints of the stars. It was getting close to nine pm and we had to eat. The closest place was the Hard Rock Cafe and we dived in there just in time to get some food.

There was a stage there with drums and guitars  on display. The waiter allowed us on to the stage. Gita on drums, Joon on lead and me on bass. We suddenly had our own band.

 

Coast to Coast 2026 Part 4 Birmingham 2

 

Coast to Coast 2026

Part 4 Birmingham 2

Just me and Joon go to the museum this morning. Gita stays at the hotel. I have a mission to complete all the floors today. I am walking around each level ensuring I see everything and taking a photo of each bike and the information sheet. Some of the bikes I have never heard of as I have gone through Tragatsch’s Encyclopaedia it was not many. What was interesting were the number of prototypes on display particularly from Triumph many I knew about and those from individuals who had done overhead cam  modifications for racing I didn’t.

Odd things adorned the walls like a whole selection of outboard motors. There was a Britten from New Zealand, a Valiant, but no LE. There was a whole area dedicated to motocross on a motocross course.

There was an area devoted  to Buells, drag bikes and other forms of competition. There were

motorcycles from floor to ceiling. I met lots of people and talking to one of the volunteers got me access to the lower ground floor with a proviso not to take photos  in part of that area. It was to prevent new bikes not being posted on social media before they are unveiled  by the museum. The lower ground floor was their workshop accompanying me were the volunteer,  Riccardo and his family. Riccardo  was from Brazil and worked for a motorcycle dealer in Orlando. We exchanged contact details. I learned allot about George Barber and the continuing projects the museum pursues. Joon missed this. He was nowhere in sight. I could not agree to the supervised visit to a restricted area then walk away to find Joon. I waived the white flag when I got to the cinema on the fifth level. It is an amazing place and  needs more time than I had  to devote to visiting.

Coast to Coast 2026 Part 4 Birmingham

 

Coast to Coast 2026

Part 4 Birmingham

Why would anyone want to go to Birmingham Alabama? It is a place for petrol heads, it is a museum and raceway. Just getting there was a challenge. We were not far away, only in Memphis checking out of the Comfort Inn with Gita driving the first part and as soon as I took over there were low tyre pressure warnings. I stopped and got the tyre inflated at a service station. Continuing on to our next hotel. We arrived at the Hampton Inn and suites about three and rested for a few hours before going out for a meal and some entertainment. The recommended place was downtown, the Tin Roof. It was a bit disappointing. It was Bingo night followed by Karaoke. Which we did not hang around for. We breakfasted at the hotel and spoke to the chef. He and Gita discussed flavours and discovered there is a corporate flavour that the chef has to cook to. We start to go to the museum and we get flat tyre warnings from the car. Across the street from the hotel is a petrol station which I pull into only their compressor is not and I can’t inflate the tyre. In sight is a tyre place that we crawl to on a flat tyre. It seems to take ages counting the revolutions of the wheel wondering what damage is being done. At the tyre place we have a helpful reception. I have a conversation with  Hertz using their phone. Our mobiles don’t work. They will not have the tyre fixed at this place and need to get to one of their accredited places. I remain calm as I see the visit to the museum disappearing in waiting around. There were a number of questions: can I drive the car one and a half miles to their accredited repair place: No, Then the car will need recovery. How many people are there? Three, Oh, you will need another car. Do you want a replacement car? No because travelling things get separated and adds another dimension to what you can forget. In the end they agree for the tyre shop to carry out a repair. During that time a friendly customer was telling me about the process of reporting to the hire company and the need to follow their procedure. Finally we are able to carry on to the Barber Motorsports Museum.

For me it was a place of enlightenment. I spend two full days there and still it was not enough. The collection of motorcycles and sports cars was over 5 levels. It was spacious and well laid out and reflected the owners racing career. George Barber raced motorcycles with great success then turned to cars racing Porches in the sports car series and Lotus in the American Race Car series he had strong connections enabling him to exhibit some of the cars he raced. 

The museum is situated south east of Birmingham in rolling countryside and the entrance is through a wooded area leading up to the museum. The first views are of a winged threesome on monocycles depicting a chase that looks like TT trophies on wheels. There is quite a bit of space for parking for bikes and cars. There is no place to eat but refreshments are available on the lower ground floor. There are water faucets on each floor I did appreciate that as I was not permitted to have a bag with food and water with me during the visit.

I am exhausted and by the end of the afternoon we leave the museum and head for the nearest shopping mall to find something to eat. We decide to rest this evening so drop into our local supermarket. Publix for something to snack on. Gita almost misses the turning and tests the stability of the car to achieve a very tight  ninety degree turn at speed.  We appreciated a night in.

Coast to Coast Part 3 Memphis

 

Coast to Coast 2026

Part 3 Memphis

Up early to pack then took the hotel shuttle bus to the Hertz pick up point at the airport. It took an hour to be processed and pick up the car. The car was a Nissan Rouge. Gita claimed the driving seat and took us all the way to Memphis some 240 miles. At one point on the interstate there was some terrible driving with a pickup truck doing an overtake, undertake,  overtake manoeuvre and almost lost it in weaving onto the central reservation with the truck going sideways as he oversteered going onto the grass. Fortunately he saved it as I visualised the truck rolling causing a serious accident involving us on our first drive in America. We had a stop at a Mexican fast food place for chicken and rice and dove through some very heavy showers. We arrived safe and checked in to the Comfort Inn hotel around four.

Joon’s thirst for live music got us to Beale street in the evening at the Blues City Cafe. A meal and music with a live band made for a pleasant evening until ordering an Uber I had no battery left on my phone and neither did Gita so enlisted the help of the Memphis Police Department outside the cafe and charged her phone. Ten minutes was enough to order the Uber and for it to arrive.

A day at Graceland for Elvis. I had booked the Elvis Experience Tour. It was a very hot day and being inside was a bonus, viewing the house which had some of Elvis’s eccentricities. No show house. It was used and particularly the kitchen which fed everyone 24 hours a day. I liked the bikes and cars and planes. Visiting the family graves it does not matter how rich and famous you it is what you do that leaves the legacy. Elvis loved to perform anywhere and has a record for the number of consecutive performances in Las Vegas. Going around the displays of garments  you can see why there are so many jump suits. Lunch in Grace’s kitchen (cafe) and retiring to the hotel to get ready for another evening out

We went back to Beale Street and walked to the Peabody. It is a luxury hotel and you have access to the roof from which I took photos of the sunset. It is the hotel where Ike and Tina Turner had a famous bust-up. In search of somewhere to eat with music we found Silky O’Sullivan's famous for the ribs they do.

 Being an Irish pub they had Guinness on draft and not appreciating the flavour of the local brews it was time to introduce Joon to the dark nectar. Thereafter we went in search of Irish pubs. The man providing the music at the piano played a whole variety of songs  performing requests including Rocky Mountain High a number of times and attracting punters to sing themselves or a duet with Piano Man. I was impressed by his repertoire. We stayed to the end enjoying the performance.